Date: Sun 14 Feb 1988 22:26-PST From: AIList Moderator Kenneth Laws Reply-To: AIList@KL.SRI.COM Us-Mail: SRI Int., 333 Ravenswood Ave., Menlo Park, CA 94025 Phone: (415) 859-6467 Subject: AIList V6 #33 - Genetic Algorithms, CAI, Psychnet, Nanotechnology To: AIList@KL.SRI.COM Status: R AIList Digest Monday, 15 Feb 1988 Volume 6 : Issue 33 Today's Topics: Neuromorphic Systemd - Genetic Algorithms, Education - Becoming CAI Literate, Psychology - Psychnet, Nanotechnology - STM Engineering & Speedup, Expert Systems - Interviewing Experts ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 13 Feb 88 22:13:47 GMT From: jason@locus.ucla.edu Subject: becoming literate with genetic algorithms John Holland was here recently giving talks on genetic algorithms. I found the concept rather intriguing. After hearing his lectures, I realized I needed to do some introductory reading on the subject to fully appreciate its potential. I am particularly interested in getting some references in the following areas: (1) introductory theory behind GA (2) its application to rule-based learning systems (3) its relation to and implementation as neural nets Thanks, Jason Rosenberg Mira Hershey Hall 801 Hilgard Avenue jason@cs.ucla.edu Los Angeles, CA 90024 {ihnp4,ucbvax}!ucla-cs!jason (213) 209-1806 ------------------------------ Date: 11 Feb 88 19:34:52 GMT From: umich!dwt@umix.cc.umich.edu (David West) Subject: Re: Cognitive System using Genetic Algorithms In article <1062@ucdavis.ucdavis.edu> g451252772ea@deneb.ucdavis.edu.UUCP (PUT YOUR NAME HERE) writes: >The author discusses neural nets, >simulated annealing, and one example of GA, all applied to the TSP, but >comments that "... a thorough comparason ... _would be_ very interesting" [...] >As noted, the TSP is a canonical candidate. I believe the TSP is popular because it is easy and compact to program. The performance of a general method such as GAs can be strongly influenced by the problem representation, and it turns out that the most straightforward representations for genetic operations are particularly badly matched to the most straightforward representations for TSPs. This makes the TSP a rather unfortunate choice of introductory example for people who are unfamiliar with GAs. >Finally, I noted above that the production rules take system inputs as >bit-strings. This representation allows for induction,... It is *one* way of getting a form of induction, and has the property that only very simple operations on the internal representation are used; the extent to which this is useful depends, again, on the joint appropriateness of the representations of the genetic operators and the world. An "appropriate" representation has the property that the expected fitness of the result of (say) a crossover is not severely worse than that of its parents. This is something that must be ensured by the experimenter if (as is most common) the representational mapping itself is not subject to genetic selection. -David West ------------------------------ Date: 8 Feb 88 16:05:43 GMT From: bwk@mitre-bedford.arpa (Barry W. Kort) Subject: Re: Becoming CAI literate Benjamin Armstrong asks about computers in education. Sherry Turkle of MIT has written an excellent book on this subject entitled The Second Self: Computers and the Human Spirit. I found her book to be well-researched and well-written, sensitive, insightful, and thoroughly entertaining. I highly recommend it. She explores computer-mediated learning at all levels from pre-school (Merlin and Speak 'n' Spell) through primary-level software (e.g. Logo) to graduate level AI projects. Her main thesis is that computers are changing the way we think, and the way we think about the process of thinking. On Saturdays, I work at Computer Place at the Boston Museum of Science. Computer Place is a resource center where youngsters can explore the world of personal computers, with emphasis on educational software. A common theme in educational software is to set up the learning experience as a game, with amusing graphics and sound effects. I especially like the world geography lesson packaged as "Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego". Computers are accurate, infinitely patient, and highly interactive. In this regard, they surpass classroom teachers. I foresee the day when computers will mediate 80% of the learning, freeing educators to focus on special problems and enrichment beyond standard curricula. --Barry Kort ------------------------------ Date: 9 Feb 88 14:59:53 GMT From: decvax!sunybcs!rapaport@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU (William J. Rapaport) Subject: Re: Becoming CAI literate In article <817@aucs.UUCP> 870158a@aucs.UUCP (Benjamin Armstrong) writes: >...direct me to a newsgroup where such discussions take place. Try comp.ai.edu ------------------------------ Date: 9 Feb 88 15:01:56 GMT From: decvax!sunybcs!rapaport@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU (William J. Rapaport) Subject: Re: Becoming CAI literate In article <822@aucs.UUCP> 870158a@aucs.UUCP (Benjamin Armstrong) writes: > [Query about AI in education.] You also might want to subscribe to news.announce.newusers, which, among other things, has a complete list of newsgroups. ------------------------------ Date: 11 Feb 88 21:14:12 GMT From: umich!dwt@umix.cc.umich.edu (David West) Subject: Re: Becoming CAI literate In article <23938@linus.UUCP> bwk@mbunix (Barry Kort) writes: >Computers are accurate, infinitely patient, and highly interactive. >In this regard, they surpass classroom teachers. Well, yes, but the things computers are best at teaching humans are, by and large, things that humans used to have to do only because they didn't have computers. Why train humans to emulate machines if you have adequate machines? -David West ------------------------------ Date: 9 Feb 88 15:05:50 GMT From: decvax!sunybcs!rapaport@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU (William J. Rapaport) Subject: Re: sci.psychology (was sci.psych) voting results In article <1536@uhccux.UUCP> todd@uhccux.UUCP (The Perplexed Wiz) writes: > >I believe that this should be sufficient to establish sci.psychology. Don't you folks know about Psychnet, the psychology bulletin board? >From: EPSYNET@UHUPVM1 (Robert C. Morecock) Subject: Announcement of new bboard named psychnet Date: 30 Jun 86 17:34:27 GMT [Forwarded from Arpanet-BBoards by Laws@SRI-AI.] PSYCHNET (tm) Psychology Newsletter and Mailing List EPSYNET@UHUPVM1 The Psychnet mailing list and Newsletter sends out information and news to those who sign up. Within Bitnet, Psychnet is also a 24-hour server machine which mails out files to users who first send the PSYCHNET HELP command to userid UH-INFO at node UHUPVM1. OUTSIDE BITNET Psychnet is a mailing list and Newsletter only. Once per week ALL members receive the latest Psychnet Newsletter and Index of files available on the server machine. Outside Bitnet, if a file looks interesting send an E-mail request to userid EPSYNET (NOT uh-info) at node UHUPVM1 and the file will be shipped out to you. Persons within may also sign up for the mail list and will get the Newsletter and Index along with other news. Users within Bitnet should get their files directly from the server machine. An Exec file is available for CMS users and COM files are available for VAX users within Bitnet. If you have a file or idea you wish distributed to members of the list you may send it to userid EPSYNET at node UHUPVM1 and it will be sent out for you, usually with the week's Psychnet Newsletter. An initial formal purpose of Psychnet is distribution of academic papers in advance of this year's (1986) APA convention. Other purposes will develop according to the needs and interests of the profession and Psychnet users. All requests to be added to or deleted from the mailing list, or to have files distributed should be sent to: Coordinator: Robert C. Morecock, Psychnet Editor, EPSYNET@UHUPVM1 ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 10 Jan 88 10:35:44 PST From: uazchem!dolata@arizona.edu (Dolata) Subject: AIList V6 #27 - Nanotechnology The reports of the significance of Foster and Formmers work (Nature, 331, p324 (1988)) are a bit overstated. To wit; F&F placed drops of di(2-ethylhexyl) pthalate on the carbon surface. They then >SWEPT< the area with the scanning tunneling electron microscope, causing a chemical reaction when the voltage applied to the electrode tip was greater than 3.5 volts. After this, they then examined the surface, and found lumps that correspond in size and shape to di(2-ethylhexyl) pthalate molecules. If they then increase the tip voltage, they can blast the stuff off of the surface. At intermediate voltages, they "believe" that they can cause intermediate level cleavages and rearrangments. Note that the process involves SCANNING of whole areas, and not individual pinning. This is nothing new, it can be done by standard electro chemical techniques. The ability to then alter individual molecules is not very exciting either, people have been doing that chemically with polymer bound systems for a long time. The exciting possibility was not strictly addressed; the ability to selectively alter moelcules in a spatially regular fashion. I.e., convert one to state 1, convert the next to state 2, etc... I don't mean to completely pooh-pooh their work. It does indicate an exciting new direction. However, I caution people from either claiming that they did something that they didn't, or from being swept up in over strong claims. Chemists have long had the ability to pin molecules to a surface, and then modify them, even in one's and two's at a time. What they haven't had much luck doing was using mechanical means to create spatially interesting patterns of altered molecules. What F&F has done is to point the way, but they missed the biggy. ------------------------------ Date: 11 Feb 88 18:04:41 GMT From: Martin Taylor Reply-to: Martin Taylor Subject: Re: Intelligent Nanocomputers > ... such a machine could then just be allowed to run, and >should be able to accomplish a century of progress in one hour. I think we already do that, and have over the course of evolution managed such a speedup several times. No reason why it shouldn't happen again. The building of structure (information, organization ...) is recursive. The more you have, the easier it is to get more (a bit like money, come to think of it, and for much the same reason). BUT...humans will not participate in this greatly augmented progress, any more than green algae participate in human progress (except perhaps to be damaged by the side- effects, analogous to pollution and destruction of habitat with which we destroy those that have not shared our "progress"). -- Martin Taylor ...uunet!{mnetor|utzoo}!dciem!mmt mmt@zorac.arpa Magic is just advanced technology ... so is intelligence. Before computers, the ability to do arithmetic was proof of intelligence. What proves intelligence now? Obviously, it is what we can do that computers can't. ------------------------------ Date: 8 Feb 88 22:08:59 GMT From: hpcea!hpnmd!hpsrla!hpmwtla!garyb@hplabs.hp.com (Gary Bringhurst) Subject: Re: interviewing experts (for the nasty line eating bug) Warning: flaming ahead As a (modest) computer scientist, I always find it disturbing to read condescending remarks like those of professors Wood and Ford, who have, by their own admission, been involved in AI only a short time (two years). >We >do, however, believe that it is important for practicing >knowledge engineers to attend to methodologies developed outside >of AI so that they can spend their time refining and extending >their application to AI rather than "reinventing the wheel." I agree with this statement, as I believe any professional should try to expand his area of expertise as far as possible. Would I be out of place to ask that cognitive psychologists who wish to contribute to AI study a little computer science in return? I have actually taken a class from Dr. Wood, and unless his depth of knowledge in the field of computer science has increased significantly since early 1987, I would find it very hard to give much weight to anything he says. >Larry E. Wood John M. Ford >woodl@byuvax.bitnet fordjm@byuvax.bitnet I suppose I'm just tired of well meaning zealots jumping into the foray. The AI bandwagon is loaded heavily enough as is. Let's lighten the load a little. Gary L. Bringhurst (DISCLAIMER: My opinions do not, in general, bear any resemblance at all to the opinions of my employer, which actually has none.) ------------------------------ End of AIList Digest ********************